BOMB Maple Bacon Cornbread!

I'm not going to say much about this cornbread, other than you're a fool if you don't try it out! I'd made cornbread a couple times before this, but never this way - maple bacon style! We actually had a lovely dinner at Chicago Q the night before I made this dish - alongside their delicious BBQ they serve large slices of cornbread. The same group of people at Chicago Q with us Friday night was the same group of people at our dinner party the next night, where we had gumbo & my maple bacon cornbread - which was the BOMB! Not to toot my own horn, but the feedback was unanimous - this cornbread blew Chicago Q's out of the water, soooo....beep, beep!

Maple & bacon compliment each other so well it should be illegal, and the addition of vanilla to this recipe gives the bread a little something extra. I used lower-sodium bacon & lite maple syrup, but the maple, butter & brown sugar glaze applied after baking truly seals the deal.

Fry the bacon in a skillet on the stove until browned (should be crispier so it cuts up easily to mix with the rest of the cornbread ingredients). When bacon is cooked, remove from skillet and set on a paper towel. Keep bacon grease in skillet for later use.

Heat oven to 425ºF. Melt the 4 tblsp butter and let cool to room temperature before adding to the cornbread mixture (but do not let butter harden). Cut up the slices of bacon so they are in small pieces (using kitchen scissors or a knife) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, baking soda & baking powder. Stir together with a whisk until well combined. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla, eggs, milk, half & half and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined (about 1 minute). Add 1 tblsp room temperature bacon grease to batter and stir again. Add bacon pieces to batter & stir to incorporate.

Transfer batter to a greased 9" x 9" baking pan (I used metal, but glass or metal would be fine). Bake in the oven at 425ºF for 18-20 mins (depending on oven heat). Cornbread should come out golden brown on top with lightly browned edges.

While cornbread is cooling mix up glaze. In a small bowl whisk together 1 tblsp brown sugar, 2 tblsp lite maple syrup & 1 tblsp melted butter. Once cornbread has been out of the oven for about 15 mins, spread glaze mixture on top. Cover until ready to serve, but best served immediately when cornbread is still warm.